Electromagnetic switch



June 5, 1934. L. REicHoLD 1,952,034

ELEGTROMAGNETIC swITcH Filed March 25. 1951 Patented June 5, 1934 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTROMAGNETIC SWITCH Ludwig Revicliold, Winsted,Conn., assgnor to The Fitzgerald Manufacturing Company, Torrington,Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application March 23, 1931,n SerialNo. 524,711

6 Claims.

described in my co -pending application, Serial No.

506,770, iiled January 30, 1931.

One of the features of this invention is the provision of an'electromagnetic switch with cushion devices to absorb' the shock ofmovement of the parts.

vAnother feature of the` present invention is the provision of a toggleswitch operating system whereby to produce a quick movement of theswitch contacts', and in which the toggle elements are mounted to have aminimum resistance to movement.

Another feature of the invention resides in the particular assemblage ofparts, as will beset forth hereinafter.

An illustrative form of construction of a switch according to thisinventionv is set forth in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 isa plan View of the switch.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view substantially on line 3--3 of Fig.2`.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end elevation showing the switch contacts.

Figi.' 5 is a circuit diagram.

Fig. 6 isa fragmentary sectional view substantially on'1ine'6''6 of Fig.1.

In the drawing, an insulated base 10 is pro'- vided with binding posts11, 12 by which current may be delivered to the switch. Binding posts13,

14 may be connected by suitable' conductors to a current reversingswitch or switches S.

The electromagnetic coils 15; 16 are secured to the base 10 by thestirrups 17 and are thus held nxedly in position. A rocker 18 is adaptedto be drawn into one or the other of the electromagnetic coils 15, 16depending on the coil which is energiz'ed by thev passage of current tothe corresponding binding post 13 or 14. This rocker is carried by aradial spoke member 19 which has a knife edge at' its inner end engagedin a groove on the standard 20; This standard is held in position on thebase by screws 2'1 which pass through sleeves in the post and throughthe base 10.

The standard 20 has a second groove preferably op'posite the rst grooveto receive the switch arm 22. The' spoke 19 and the arm 22 arebifurcated at their inner ends (Fig. 2) to provide a space within whichis located the coil spring 23 which engages at itsV ends in aperturesformed in the spoke 19 and the switch plate 22'. Between the standard 20and the frame is provided a plate 24 which limits the downward movementof the spoke 19 and switch plate 22 while the upward movement thereof islimited by a closing plate 25 which is held in position by the screws21a. Y

The screws 26 in the base plate 10 have their Shanks passed throughapertures 27 in a inertia cushioning member 28, with their headsextending beyond the slots to prevent movement of the 65 member 28 awayfrom the base 10. Each of these screws is provided with a felt cushionpiece 29, which pieces are directed toward one another and locatedwithin the slots 27. The member 28 has the upturned end portions 30,30@L which lie in the path of the cushions 3l, 31zt carried by aprojection 32 of the rocker 18.

The switch arm 22 carries a stirrup 33, which fits betweeny theshoulders on the bifurcated portionv on the switch arm 22 and a securingscrew 34 whereby radiall movement of the stirrup 33 is prevented. Thestirrup 33 in turn supports an insulating plate 35 which has the twoswitch blades 36, 36a fastened thereto by the rivets 37.

It is preferred to offset the outer ends of the switch blades 36 (Figs.1 and 3) so that they are substantially in the line of the switch arm22'. The switch blades 36 carry the contact members 38 for engagementwith the stationary contacts 39', 40, 41, and 42, of which 42 isillustrated as being of insulating material so that no current flows tothe upper contact member 38 when in the position shown in full lines inFig. 1.

An L-shaped strap 43 is secured to the base plate 10 by screws 44 andcarries the contacts 4l, .90

42 on its upturned portion. A second y-shaped strap 45 is secured to thebase plate 10 by the binding post 46; and carries the fixed contact 40.An insulating plate 47 is mounted on the horizontal portion of themember 45 and in turn re 1 ceives thereon a bracket 48 which supportsthe Xed contact 39 and is held in position by a binding post 50 and ascrew 51 which pass through insulated sleeves (not shown) to avoidelectrical contact with the lower L-shaped member 45.

Upstanding posts 52, 52a on the base plate 10 are connected toi the endsof pigtail connections 53, 53a (Fig. l) which are curved around thestandard 20 and are secured at their other ends to the switch blades 36,36a, so that electrical connection to these switch blades is assuredregardless of the position of the moving parts.

The circuit diagram of Fig. 5V shows the electrical connection from thecontrol terminal 14 by conductor 8O to the winding of theelectromagnetic coil 16 with the return by conductor 81 to one of thescrews 44 and thence to the xed contact 41 (Fig. 4). The other controlterminal 13 is connected to the winding of electromagnetic coil 15 andthence by conductor 82 to the terminal 46, and thus to the L-shapedmember 45 and to the fixed contact member 40 (Fig. 4) Current from theterminal 11 is led by conductor 83 to the post 52, while terminal 12 isconnected by conductor 84 to the post 52a.

In operation, with the parts in the position shown in full lines in Fig.1, the closure of the control member S establishes a circuit fromterminal 12 by conductor 84 to post 52e, and thence by pigtail 53BL tothe lower switch plate 36a to fixed contact 41, by conductor 81, to thecoil 16, with the return by conductor to terminal 14 to the circuitclosure member, with a return by conductor 90. The coil 16 is energizedand attracts the sector 18 and causes a movement of the spoke 19 in aclockwise direction in Fig. 1, with a tensioning o! the spring 23. Afterthe spoke 19 has passed beyond a position in extension of the switch arm22, the spring causes the switch arm to be rapidly moved in acounter-clockwise direction until the contact 38 is engaged with thefixed contact 39 while opening the aforesaid circuit closed betweenlower contact 38 and xed contact 41. Thereupon a circuit is establishedfrom terminal 11 by conductor 83 to post 52, pigtail 53, switchblade 36,fixed contact 39, bracket 48, terminal 60, conductor 91 switch 92(illustrated as an oven switch and to control the heater elements 93)with a return by conductor 90. Also, a circuit is established fromterminal 12 by conductor 84 to post 52, pigtail 53, switch blade 36,fixed contact 40, L-shaped member 45, terminal 46, conductor 94, theswitch 92, the heating elements 93 with a return by conductor as before.In this way, a three wire supply system is connected to the oven switchand the heating elements are energized.

At the same time a branch circuit is also established leading from theterminal 46 by conductor 82 to the coil 15, terminal 13 to the controlelement. Hence, when this control element is moved from the positionshown in Fig. 5 to close the circuit to terminal 13, the coil 15 isenergized and attracts the sector 18 and causes the movement of theswitch parts back into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 andopening the oven circuits.

When a two wire supply system is employed, the upper terminals in Fig. 5are connected together in the manner shown in my aforesaid copendingapplication.

The switch is characterized by the simplicity o1' its parts in that thesupport 20 is provided with an aperture to receive the spring 23, whilethe biturcated ends of the spoke 19 and the switch plate 22 straddle thespring and are engaged in the grooves on the standard. Further, thedouble cushioning devices permit also of a braking by the inertia eiectof the member 28.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited to the particular formof construction illustrated but that it may be modied in many wayswithin the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A circuit closer comprising a frame, a pair of electromagnets on saidframe, an oscillatable armature adapted to be moved selectively by saidelectromagnets and pivotally supported on said frame, contact meansconnected to the armature and to the frame to be selectively closed uponthe movement of said armature, an inertia member and means on the frameto guide said member for loose oscillating movement substantially aboutthe center of movement of said armature, interengaging means on saidarmature and said inertia member whereby the armature will encountersaid inertia member during its movement in either direction, and cushiondevices on said inertia member to absorb the shock of impact betweensaid armature and inertia member upon encounter when the armature ismoving in either direction.

2. A circuit closer comprising a frame, a pair of electromagnets on saidframe, an oscillatable armature pivotally mounted on said frame to beselectively moved from one end position to another by saidelectromagnets, an inertia member mounted for loose guided movement onsaid frame and having portions extending into the path of movement ofthe armature as it approaches the end positions, cushion piecesinterposed between said inertia member and said armature to absorb theimpact blow in either direction of movement of the armature, and switchdevices opened and closed by said armature as it moves from one endposition to the other.

3. A circuit closer comprising a frame, a pair of electromagnets on saidframe, an oscillatable armature pivoted on said frame to be selectivelymoved from one end position to another by said electromagnets, a slottedinertia member, means passing through the slots to hold the member tothe frame while permitting the loose guided movement of said member uponthe engagement of said armature therewith as the latter passes towardeither end position, a cushion supported by said means in a slot of theinertia member for limiting the movement of the inertia member, toabsorb the impact blow in either direction of movement of the armature,and switch devices opened and closed by said armature as it moves fromone end position to the other.

4. A circuit closer comprising a frame, a pair of electromagnets on saidframe, an oscillatable armature pivotally mounted on said frame andadapted to be selectively moved from one end position to another by saidelectromagnets, an inertia member having angularly directed end portionsextending into the path of movement of said armature, means for guidingthe inertia member in its movement when encountered by said armature,cushioning means interposed between the armature and inertia member toabsorb the shock of impact of one upon the other, further cushioningmeans interposed between the frame and inertia member to limit themovement of said inertia member and to absorb the impact blow in eitherdirection of movement of the armature, and switch devices opened andclosed by said armature as it moves from one end position to the other.

5. A circuit closer comprising a frame, a pair of electromagnets on saidframe, an oscillatable armature adapted to be moved selectively by saidelectromagnets, contact means connected to said armature and to theframe to be selectively closed when said armature is oscillated, and aninertia member' loosely mounted on said frame in the path of movement ofsaid armature and presenting retarding means engageable by said armaturefollowing movement in either direction whereby said armature willencounter said inertia member in its movement so that the inertia membermay produce a braking effect upon the armature and bring it to astandstill after a predetermined movement in either direction, andcushioning means between the armature and the inertia member to assistto absorb the shock of impact between the armature and the inertiamember.

6. A circuit closer comprising a frame, a pair of electromagnets on saidframe, an oscillatable armature adapted to be moved selectively by saidelectromagnets, contact means connected to said armature and to theframe to be selectively closed when said armature is oscillated, and aninertia member loosely mounted on said frame in the path of movement ofsaid armature and present-

